


Dancing On Our Own | Percy Weasley x Oliver Wood

by Gwen_Myers



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Adoption, Best Friends Turned Lovers, Dancing, Fred Weasley (mentioned) - Freeform, Implied/Referenced Character Death, LGBT, M/M, Molly Weasley (mentioned) - Freeform, No Smut, Penelope Clearwater (mentioned), Snogging
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-30
Updated: 2018-09-30
Packaged: 2019-07-20 14:42:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16139381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gwen_Myers/pseuds/Gwen_Myers
Summary: AU in which Ginny finds Percy kissing Oliver and not Penelope, plus the backstory (and future) of that moment. Mostly centered around the song ‘I Think We’re Alone Now’ by Tiffany.





	1. At Hogwarts

**_First Year_ **

“Percy Weasley!”

Percy closed his book, and looked up from his bed to see his best friend, Oliver. He closed his eyes out of exhaustion or annoyance or something else that he could not define. He knew that Oliver had wanted to play wizard chess in the common room after dinner, but he couldn’t do it. Not today.

“Yes? Oliver?”

There was a slight strain in his voice. He knew the other boy heard it. Oliver motioned for Percy to move over, and joined him on the bed. It wasn’t an unusual occurrence, but it still made Percy nervous. There was just something about the action that made him feel like every nerve in his body was on edge.

“You promised you would take a break from studying tonight.”

Oliver looked so sad when he said those words. It was as if he actually cared about whether or not Percy played chess with him or not. As if he didn’t have other friends, other interests. Unlike Percy, Oliver had many options. So why did he always come back to him?

“I didn’t want to be in the common room. Too many people.”

The truth was that he would have played chess with Oliver if not for what had happened earlier that day. Second year boys had tracked him down when he was all alone, and had mercilessly teased him. They had told he was a disgrace of a Gryffindor, that he was a stuck-up prude, and that he didn’t deserve Oliver as a friend. He couldn’t find any lies in the statements.

“I know what happened, Perce. But I’ll never stop being your friend.”

He took Percy’s hand in his, and tugged him off the bed. Oliver moved to leave the dormitory, but Percy shook his head. Even with his best friend, he really didn’t want to face anyone right now. So, instead they stood there, in the middle of the dorm, fingers intertwined on one hand.

“You are the smartest, bravest, funniest, bestest friend anyone could have, Perce. Don’t ever forget that.”

Percy was about to correct him about how “bestest” was not a word, but suddenly they heard music playing in the common room. Oliver let go of his hand, draping his arms around Percy’s neck and started swaying along with the tune. Percy went red all over, but knew he had to say something.

“You’re the only one who sees me that way, Ollie.”

Both boys heard the words that Percy had left unspoken, heard the red-haired boy’s sad confession of, _“You’re the only one who ever will.”_

* * *

 

**_Second Year_ **

“Oliver. Ol. Ollie. Please answer me.”

Oliver slowly woke up, unsure of where he was. The last thing he remembered was heading out to the Quidditch pitch for his first game. He felt a warm hand in his, and kept hearing the same words, over and over, said by the very familiar voice of his best friend, Percy.

“Please wake up, Ollie. Please don’t die. Please, please, please…”

He opened his eyes to find a very freckled, spectacled boy’s face above his. The boy had noticed Oliver stirring, and had stopped his cries. Oliver tried to get up, but it was too painful, so instead he searched the room with his eyes, finding that he was in the hospital wing.

“Wh- “

Oliver’s voice was hoarse, and Percy shushed him immediately. He called Madam Pomfrey in, and when she asked him to leave, he adamantly refused. Oliver smiled inwardly at this, as Percy wasn’t normally one to talk back to adults or blatantly ignore the rules. It made him so happy to find out that rules didn’t apply when it came to him. Once Madam Pomfrey had left, he looked to Percy for an explanation.

“You were hit by a bludger. You’ve been out for a week! I was so worried… I barely left this room.”

Oliver noticed that there were bags under Percy’s eyes, that is hair was beyond messy, that his clothes looked as if they had been worn for many days. He looked as far as he could to the floor, and found that there were many books stacked up, the top one being, _Quidditch: From Broken Bones to Broken Minds_. Percy followed his line of sight, and blushed deeply when he realized that Oliver had noticed his reading material.

“I just couldn’t stand not knowing if you would be okay. They kept saying, we’ll just have to wait and see, there’s no telling when he’ll wake up, concussions are quite tricky -”

Percy stopped talking when he saw that Oliver was trying to reach for his hand. He intertwined their fingers together, and started humming a tune that Oliver recognized as the song they had danced to the year before. He swayed in his chair, careful not to jerk Oliver’s arm, but soon became quiet, being able to truly fall asleep for the first time in a week. Oliver knew he shouldn’t speak, but he couldn’t leave the words unspoken.

“I love you, Perce.”

* * *

 

**_Third Year_ **

“Perce. Perce! Percy!”

Percy was tired. Beyond tired. He wasn’t sure where he was, but he knew it wasn’t his bed. He also knew who was speaking to him, the familiarity of the voice comforting him. He lifted his head, realizing that he was in the library, and that it was completely dark. He mentally slapped himself. He had fallen asleep studying when he was supposed to meet Oliver on the Quidditch pitch.

“I’m so sorry, Ollie. I didn’t mean to stand you up.”

But Oliver didn’t look angry. He looked worried. Percy knew Oliver was about to go on a spiel about how he (Percy) needed to take care of himself better. But he didn’t want to hear it. He had to study, he had to work hard, he just had to. And it wasn’t like Oliver had any right to talk, since Percy had repeatedly had to sneak food out to the Quidditch pitch for Oliver to eat. But Oliver surprised him.

“I was going to help you with riding a broom, Perce.”

Percy blushed deeply at the double entendre. Oliver noticed how red he had gotten, realized what he had said, and shoved his head in his hands. Percy snorted out a laugh, covering his face with his hands at the noise. Both boys were thoroughly embarrassed, but Percy didn’t stop there. He gathered his stuff, shoving all of his books into his bag, and grabbed his best friend’s hand, beginning to sing the song that the boys had come to think of as their own.

_“Children behave, that's what they say when we're together_

_And watch how you play_

_They don't understand_

_And so, we're_

_Running just as fast as we can, holding on to one another hands_

_Trying to get away into the night and then you put your arms around me_

_And we tumble to the ground and then you say,”_

They had run out of the library, and were now spinning and running in the halls. They were still holding hands, and Percy’s bag kept slamming into his leg, but he didn’t mind. He loved these moments with Oliver, when he could finally let loose and stop trying to be perfect. Oliver was singing as well now, and he had a much better voice in Percy’s honest opinion.

_“I think we're alone now,_

_There doesn't seem to be anyone around_

_I think we're alone now,_

_The beating of our hearts is the only sound,”_

Oliver pulled Percy closer to him, and it was almost as if they were about to kiss. But Percy would never know what would have happened and the boys never got to finish their song, because just as they were less than a foot apart, they heard the stern voice of Professor McGonagall.

“Mr. Wood. Mr. Weasley. I am appalled by your disregard of the rules.”

For the first time, Percy was too happy to be upset that he was in trouble.

* * *

 

**_Fourth Year_ **

“Oliver…”

Oliver’s eyes shot wide open. He was in the shower, wanking off when he heard Percy calling for him. He had no idea what to do. If Percy came here, he would see Oliver with his hand around his cock, and the worst part: he had been thinking about Percy while doing it.

“Just one moment.”

If he didn’t want to be caught, he had to call that out. He stepped out of the shower, grabbing a towel to dry himself off, and then slipping on a pair of sweatpants. Without a shirt on, he walked out into the dormitory, and shot a grin at his best friend. Percy smiled nervously at him and Oliver wondered what he was thinking. Percy looked exhausted and Oliver wanted to wrap him up in blankets and help him sleep.

“I’ve had a really long day, Ollie. I know you wanted to take me to that party in the Hufflepuff common room, and you can still go, but I really don’t think I can do it tonight.”

Percy collapsed onto his bed, and Oliver followed suit, not having to hide his erection, as Percy’s eyes were closed anyways. He reached for the other boy’s hand and tried to tell Percy about his feelings, but he couldn’t speak. So, instead he said the next best thing.

“I’d rather be with you, Perce.”

Percy smiled, but his eyes were still closed, and Oliver turned on his side, trying to get more comfortable. He wasn’t sure if he would ever be able to tell Percy about his feelings. He wasn’t sure if Percy was bent, or how people would react to their relationship, or anything really. He just knew that he loved Percy Weasley. And that complicated everything.

“Sing to me, please. Our song.”

Oliver wasn’t surprised by the request. It was something they did often. Their song had become a constant in both of their lives. Before he could even start the lyrics, Percy pulled him up, to the middle of the dormitory. So much for being tired. Percy grabbed Oliver’s hands, placing them on his hip and his shoulder, and then putting his own hands in place. Oliver was so worried that Percy would notice his erection, so he stepped a little back from him, and tentatively started with the second verse of the song.

_“Look at the way we gotta hide what we're doin'_

_'Cause what would they say_

_If they ever knew_

_And so, we're_

_Running just as fast as we can, holding on to one another hands_

_Trying to get away into the night and then you put your arms around me_

_And we tumble to the ground and then you say_

_I think we're alone now,_

_There doesn't seem to be anyone around_

_I think we're alone now,_

_The beating of our hearts is the only sound”_

Oliver suddenly didn’t care whether or not Percy knew about his feelings. He pulled the other boy close to him, and Percy’s eyes widened, feeling the hardness between them. He stepped away, blushing, and said the last thing Oliver wanted to hear.

“Thinking about a girl, I see? You should go ask her to the party.”

Oliver stared at the retreating form of his best friend, and shook his head, sighing out loud. Percy would never get it, would he? He would never realize how much Oliver wanted him.

* * *

 

**_Fifth Year_ **

“Hey, Perce.”

Percy looked up to see Oliver looking at him nervously. They hadn’t seen each other on the train, as Percy was wrapped up in prefect duties. And now, Oliver looked as if he wasn’t sure if he could sit next to Percy in The Great Hall. Percy scooched over, and Oliver smiled softly, and took a seat.

“I heard you made Quidditch captain, Oliver.”

Percy wished it wasn’t like this, but ever since last year when he realized that Oliver had probably been thinking about a girl in the showers before hanging out with him, they were both suddenly very nervous around each other. Oliver confirmed the statement with a nod and then spoke once again.

“And you, prefect.”

Percy nodded in reply politely. He hated not knowing what to say to his best friend. For the last four years, they had been able to talk about anything and everything. Well that wasn’t exactly true. Percy had been hiding his true feelings since third year. He thought that might _like-like_ Oliver. Actually, no, he didn’t think. He knew. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Oliver talking again.

“I know you’re a prefect now, Perce, but do you think, maybe, we could, um, have our own little celebration tonight?”

Percy blushed at the words, but he nodded anyways. He would do anything to be on good terms with Oliver again. And anyways, he had never applied the rules to him and Oliver. It was different with them. It wasn’t like they were doing any actual harm with the rules they broke. And he was sure that it was going to be the same way tonight.

“Of course, Ollie.”

***

When both he and Oliver had gotten to the dormitory, Oliver led him to his bed, and searched his bag for something. Percy wasn’t sure what Oliver was about to pull out, but he was really nervous. He was even more nervous when Oliver was done searching and realized that his best friend had a bottle of fire whiskey in his hand. He had never drunk alcohol before, and Oliver must have known this, going by his next words (and the fact that they had been friends for four years).

“Don’t be nervous, Perce. I’ll be here.”

Percy timidly took the bottle out of Oliver’s hands. He wasn’t sure how to go about this. Oliver was staring at him intently, daring him to drink. One look in his friend’s eyes was all it took for him to open the bottle and take a large swig. Maybe this, of all things, would encourage him to make a move. But drinking so much at once was a mistake, as he started coughing right away, causing Oliver to take the bottle away from him.

“I wasn’t finished.”

Percy knew he shouldn’t have put so much anger behind those words, but it was just him and Oliver now, and that meant he could stop pretending that everything was fine. Oliver didn’t look hurt though, taking the words as a challenge instead. He drank out of the bottle like one would drink water, with casual sips, but still drinking a lot at the same time.

“Little sips, Perce. Little sips.”

Percy snatched the bottle back, mimicking Oliver’s actions. The alcohol stung his throat, but after a few minutes, he stopped feeling much at all. And, suddenly, he got what a drunk person would believe was a “good idea” but unintoxicated people would think of as a little bit stupid.

“What if we play a game?”

“What kind of game?”

“The kind of game where we find new ways to kiss/touch each other every time one of us takes a drink. That is, if you’re not _scared_.”

Percy watched as Oliver took out another bottle of fire whiskey, and smiled victoriously. He knew Oliver would never pass up a challenge like this, even if he was straight. There was no way Oliver would ever let Percy call him scared. He took a small swig out of the new bottle, raising his eyes in Oliver’s direction, challenging him to start out their little game.

“You really want to do this, Perce? Want your first kiss to be with your bent best friend?”

Percy was shocked at the taunting slash confession, but he didn’t let it show, just nodding, waiting for his kiss. Oliver turned towards Percy, pulling the red-haired boy into his lap, resting his hands on the small of his best friend’s back. He grazed his lips over Percy’s in an agonizingly sweet way, but pulled back after barely a second. He had to leave room to grow after all.

“That was barely a kiss.”

Percy knew he shouldn’t be complaining that Oliver kissed him at all, but he wanted more. He passed the bottle to Oliver anyways, and watched as his friend took a large gulp and grinned at him prettily. Deciding he should tease Oliver as well, he took hold of his friend’s hands and kissed each one of Oliver’s long, thin fingers. Oliver shivered beneath him.

“If you’re going to make me hard Perce, I hope you plan on fixing the problem.”

Percy abandoned their little game after only two turns, setting the bottle aside and pinning Oliver to the bed. He left a trail of wet kisses on Oliver’s skin, starting out just below his ear, quickly pecking him on the nose, skipping over his mouth, and ended with a very wet, suggestive kiss on the most sensitive part of Oliver’s neck.

“Oh, Oliver, you really think I would start something without finishing it?”

And, suddenly, he was nervous again. He had never even kissed someone before tonight, how was he to know what to do next? Oliver must have sensed his anxiety, as he had suddenly sat up, grabbing Percy’s hand. He timidly kissed Percy full on the lips, awkwardly melding their lips together, moving not quite in-sync. It was perfectly imperfect.

“When it comes to us, you have a habit of leaving me… let’s say, unsatisfied. We never did finish our dance last year. And we haven’t danced since either.”

Percy shot a look at him, but then stood up, pulling the other boy up with him. He placed Oliver’s and his hands in position, just as he had the time before, and started out a slow dance. Oliver smiled at him, partly with happiness, and partly with drunkenness. They were a mess of gangly limbs and intoxicated actions, but in both the boy’s minds, never had a moment been so beautiful, especially once they had started singing the familiar words of their song.

_“I think we're alone now,_

_There doesn't seem to be anyone around_

_I think we're alone now,_

_The beating of our hearts is the only sound”_

They woke up the next morning, passed out the floor, fully clothed, with a bottle of fire whiskey just a few feet away. It was truly a shame that neither of them could remember past opening that first bottle.

* * *

 

**_Sixth Year_ **

“Perce, let me in!”

Oliver had been stuck in the hall for the past ten minutes, begging Percy to let him into the abandoned classroom, which was warded heavily with locking charms. He had disappeared after lunch, and when Oliver asked around, a Ravenclaw in their year said that they had seen him going into this classroom. He knew that the Ravenclaw could have been lying, though as distraught as they seemed to be, he highly doubted it.

“Percival Weasley, if you do not let me in, I will write your mother!”

The door opened suddenly, and Oliver stumbled slash fell through the threshold. He looked up to see Percy almost carelessly flicking his wand towards the door, effectively shutting it. He looked, well, he looked like an utter mess. Tears stained his cheeks, his hair looked as if he had been trying to pull it out, and his normally pale skin was red and patchy, signs that Percy had been scratching, like he always did when he was upset.

“You’re not going to write her anything.”

Percy’s voice was bitter with a tinge of something else. Perhaps regret, or anger, or… depression. That had to be it. Percy was only like this when he went down one of his depressive spirals. The question was, what had sent him down the spiral? Oliver walked over to his best friend, and even when the other boy turned away, he didn’t give up. He grabbed Percy’s hand and forced him to sit down on one of the many tables. He pulled a chair over and examined Percy’s skin, looking for injuries.

“Percy. You can’t do this to yourself. Now tell me what’s wrong.”

Oliver watched as his friend shook his head, but he wouldn’t take no for an answer. As he cast a healing spell of Percy’s scratched raw arms, he asked what was wrong again. Percy still refused to answer. Oliver cast a repairing on Percy’s ripped robe, and a cleaning charm on a mysterious stain on Percy’s white shirt, asking once again what was wrong, his tone more serious and forceful now. And Percy finally gave in.

“If you really want to know… I’ve been so stressed out lately. It’s stressful enough having to keep all my siblings in check, then there’s this chamber of secrets shit, and now… Penelope was petrified, Ollie. And, for some reason, I feel like it’s all my fault.”

Penelope was one of Percy’s only other friends. At least, Oliver hoped they were only friends. He shook his head inwardly, he shouldn’t be thinking like that when something so serious was happening. He set his wand down, taking Percy’s hands in his, and did the only thing he could think of. He pulled Percy off the table, gently dragging him to a part of the room that was emptier than the rest. And he started dancing.

“It isn’t your fault, Perce. Don’t hurt yourself this way. Please.”

Oliver stepped closer to Percy, pulling his best friend flush against his body. He whispered the lyrics of their song in Percy’s ear, swaying along with the words. He was so lost in the moment that he almost didn’t hear Percy’s next words. But when he did, it was _brilliant_.

“I really want to kiss you.”

“Then kiss me.”

It. Was. Bloody. Brilliant. Percy smashed his lips into Oliver’s, not roughly, but not gently either. It was both a new and strangely familiar sensation, leaving Oliver to wonder why exactly it felt familiar. To his knowledge, this was his first kiss ever, so why didn’t it feel like a first kiss? He abandoned all thoughts when he felt Percy push him into one of the tables, practically snogging him now. It was… Passionate. Bruising. Arousing, to say the least. But it ended much to quickly for Oliver’s taste, that is, until he saw, well, more like heard, the reason that Percy pulled away.

“Oh. OH. Um, I was just looking for you, Percy. Wanted to tell you something. It can wait. I’m, um, just going to leave now.”

Oliver groaned, knowing whose voice that was. Ginny Weasley. His eyes flicked towards Percy’s, who was now even more anxious than before. Percy looked at Ginny, who was now running away, and then looked back at Oliver, who motioned for him to just go. Percy chased after his little sister, yelling.

“Ginny. Wait! Come back!”

***

Percy found Oliver later that day, still in the same room. Oliver looked at him tiredly, wondering if Percy regretted what they had done earlier that day. He was sitting on the floor, and Percy joined him after a moment. They sat there in silence for a long time, until Percy reached for Oliver’s hand.

“I’ve liked you for a few years now, you know.”

Oliver expected to be shocked, but he wasn’t. He supposed that some part of him had always known that Percy liked him too. It was just that the other part of him was afraid that he might be wrong. Oliver looked at Percy nervously, his best friend’s blue eyes shining hopefully. He cupped Percy’s face with his free hand, kissing him tentatively.

“I bet I’ve liked you longer, Perce.”

Oliver mumbled these words against Percy’s lips, and he could feel the other boy smiling against his. Suddenly, he was pinned to the ground, and Percy was straddling his hips, kissing him fervently. Oliver couldn’t believe what was happening. Percy was kissing every inch of Oliver’s skin that he could find. It was more than disappointing when he pulled away. But then it wasn’t.

“So… what are we now? Boyfriends?”

Oliver smiled up at the other boy, and it barely took him a second to respond.

“Yes. YES. A thousand times yes!”

* * *

 

**_Seventh Year_ **

Percy had been dating Oliver for nearly a year now. Their relationship was semi-public knowledge, but they weren’t very into PDA. Yes, queer relationships were more accepted in the wizarding world than the muggle world, but some people still saw it as taboo. So, they settled for pecks on the cheek and holding hands in public, but snogged the life out of each other once they were alone. And, one of these alone times, was Percy’s happiest memory.

“Puddlemere United recruited me!”

When Percy first heard these words, his heart dropped. Quidditch players spent lots of time training, and barely had enough time to sleep, let alone have private lives. What if they had to break up because of this? But inwardly, he shook his head at himself, reminding him that he should be happy for his boyfriend. No matter what.

“Congragulations, Ollie!”

They were in the Gryffindor common room, which wasn’t entirely deserted, but it was empty enough. Oliver flicked his wand towards the record player, and it started playing their song. Percy took Oliver’s hands, spinning him around, singing along with the music, which to be honest, got him a few glares, but he didn’t care. He was so happy that it didn’t matter what his peers thought of him anymore.

“Perce. I have a question for you.”

When the song ended and they had collapsed onto the sofa together, Oliver said this, looking nervous. Percy’s heart sped up. He had no idea what to expect. So, he simply motioned for Oliver to continue and prepared himself for the worst.

“Well, it’s just, as a player, I’ve got to live in Puddlemere, that way it’ll be easier to get to training. And, well, I was hoping, that since I’m getting an apartment out there, maybe you would like to come live with me?”

Oliver rushed through the last part of the question so fast, that it took Percy a minute to understand. But once he figured out what Oliver asked, it hit him: _he would be living with his boyfriend._ Sure, he and Oliver had been living together for the past seven years, but this was different. This was deliberately renting an apartment for them to share. And he knew what his answer was immediately.

“Yes, Ollie, I’ll live with you. Forever.”


	2. After the War

**_1999_ **

“Are you sure this is what you want to do?”

Oliver rolled his eyes at the question. It had been twelve years since they first met, six years since they had gotten together, five years since they had moved in together, and a year since the war. If he wasn’t sure now, he would never be sure.

“We are literally signing the adoption papers. There’s no going back now.”

Five months after the war, Percy had sat him down, and asked if he wanted to adopt. There were a lot of children that were orphaned in the war, and once the wizarding orphanage had been set, even newborn babies had been flowing in. Oliver agreed readily. One, he had always loved the idea of being a father, and two, he knew Percy wanted this. After the war, Percy had to go to therapy many times a week, and he had even left the ministry for good, taking a job at Hogwarts instead. Ever since Fred had died, Percy hadn’t felt whole, at least that’s what he told Oliver, and Oliver was sure this was his way of feeling whole again.

“And we’re sure about the name?”

Oliver rolled his eyes again. They had discussed the name thoroughly for months. And when they had seen the brown haired, blue eyed, baby girl, both of them were sure that the name fit her perfectly. He nodded his head and Percy smiled at him gratefully. Oliver still couldn’t believe he had the luck of meeting and falling in love with Percy Weasley. He looked at the picture of their new daughter, the picture he took when they had first met her, the picture he now kept in his wallet at all times, and smiled.

“Winifred Margaret Weasley-Wood… welcome to the family.”

* * *

 

**_2003_ **

“I can’t believe we’re doing this again.”

Percy looked towards Oliver and laughed. Winnie was sitting in Oliver’s lap as they signed the papers in almost the exact same spot as they did the last time. But this time, they already had one daughter, and they were about to gain another. The name had been a hot debate, Percy wanting to choose a name like Rebecca or Lucille, and Oliver wanting a name like Wendy or Maisie. But ultimately, Winnie was the one to choose.

“Are we sure that Winifred here made the best choice in names? She is four after all.”

Winnie glared at her papa (Percy). She may have been four, but she knew enough to be upset when her papa or daddy called her by her full name. And, yes, of course, she was sure of the name. Both of them had been listing off names for her, writing down the ones she was interested in, and then listing them out again for until she narrowed it down. Oliver joked about how, somehow, by magic, she got her papa’s smarts.

“We can’t go through months of choosing again. It’s either this name or we just name her Baby Girl Weasley-Wood and get it over with.”

Winnie then glared at her daddy too, as if to say that that wasn’t going to happen. She had chosen a name and that was that in her mind. It was the best name possible for her new little sister, who had vibrant red hair and bright brown eyes. Winnie had only met her once, but when the baby had rapped her tiny little fingers around her own, she knew she would love her little sister. Her papa’s voice broke through her thoughts.

“And you two are completely sure of this?”

Oliver nodded, rolling his eyes, and Winnie mimicked his actions. Her Papa was such a silly man, asking stupid questions that had easy answers. She watched as her papa and her daddy laugh and exchange looks about the way she acted, and she loved it. They loved her so much, and she knew it. And now, she would have a little sister to share the love with. Her daddy was the one who spoke next.

“Well, Winnie, you better shape up if you want to be a role model for Megara.”

Winnie smiled. Megara Rhys Weasley-Wood, she thought. The bestest little sister in the world.

* * *

 

**_2004_ **

Winnie wasn’t sure why Papa and Daddy had been leaving her and Nutmeg with Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur so often, but she knew it was for some sort of surprise. And she couldn’t wait to find out what it was.

She was playing hide and seek with Uncle Bill, Teddy (who was also at Bill and Fleur’s house), and Victoire, when she heard her Papa’s voice at the door. And then her Daddy’s voice too! They were talking to Aunt Fleur, and she ran out from behind the couch, effectively losing the game, and finding out the surprise.

Her Daddy was holding a baby! A beautiful baby girl with wispy blonde hair. She had a new sister, she knew it right away. “Whst’s her name, what’s her name?”, she whisper yelled, knowing how easy it was to wake up babies (Megara wasn’t even two, after all).

“Gwendolyn, but we’re going to call her Wendy,” her Papa said to her, gathering her up in his arms. Winnie wrapped her arms around him, and smiled. She loved being a big sister, and now she was even more of one.

* * *

 

 

_**2005** _

“Winnie! Come down stairs, please. We have a surprise for you and Meg.”

Winnie rushed down the stairs in her night gown, which was really just her daddy’s old Quidditch jersey. Her papa and daddy had been hinting at a surprise for nearly a month. And now she was finally going to learn what is was! When she got to the living room, she was absolutely delighted.

“A puppy!”

The puppy was black and brown, a boy, and her papa called him a Border Terrier. Names for him rushed through her mind, but one stood out. Winnie’s other nickname was Honey, Meg’s was Nutmeg, and Wendy’s was Pumpkin, so it only made sense for him to be named after some sort of food too.

“Coriander. Cory for short.”

She said it, as if there was no question on whether she was going to name him, and her papa and daddy both nodded approvingly. Meg was only two, but even she babbled happily and nonsensically when she heard the name. Winnie smiled. She loved moments like these when everyone was happy. She rushed towards Cory, and lifted him up into her arms, falling to the ground in the process. She laughed like crazy, letting Cory lick at her face, and laughing even more when her two-year-old sister joined her on the ground, crawling on top of her to “save” her from their new puppy. She was so lost in the fun, she didn’t hear her daddy’s next words.

“I love you, Perce. And I love this family we’ve created. I love everything about our lives.”

* * *

 

_**2010** _

“I’m going to miss you, Nutmeg. Cory too.”

Winnie couldn’t believe that she was going off to Hogwarts. It felt too soon. She didn’t want to leave her daddy, or her papa (even if it was only for the train ride, seeing as he was still going to be a teacher), or her little sister, or her puppy. She was going to miss each and every one of them terribly.

“You’re not going to miss me at all, Winnie! You’re not going to have time!”

Winnie smiled at the small joke her sister had made, one she had been making for weeks. They both knew about Hogwarts’ extensive library, and also knew that Winnie would not be able to resist the temptation. There were just so many books and Winnie wanted to read all of them. But that didn’t mean she wouldn’t miss her little Nutmeg. And, of course, her other siblings too, who were with Gram and Gramps.

She leaned closer to Meg, and said, “Don’t forget to help Daddy out with Wendy, Joshie, Romy, and Penny. It’s your job now.” Meg nodded dutifully, still smiling. And finally, Winnie turned to her Daddy and Papa.

“Don’t be anxious, Win. Everything’s going to be alright.”

“Yeah. And we’re sure that Teddy and Victoire will sit with on the train.”

Her papa’s and her daddy’s words calmed her a little bit. But then she froze, asking her daddy if he had asked Teddy and Victoire to sit with her. He blushed profusely, realizing he was caught, and nodded, his face full of embarrassment. But she was even more embarrassed. How could he?!

“Dadddddy! You can’t just do that! Now they’ll think that I have no friends!”

Both her daddy and her papa rolled her eyes at that, and Winnie facepalmed. Of course, she wouldn’t have friends, she hadn’t started Hogwarts yet. But that didn’t mean she wanted her daddy asking her cousins to sit with her. She could find her own friends.

“Winnie, it’s going to be okay. They’ll ride with you on the train, and then you’ll be at Hogwarts with me, and it will go by in a flash, I swear.”

Her papa’s words calmed her. She had it easy. She was going to Hogwarts with her papa, who would look out for her. And she would be one of the few students to do so. Well Victoire would, since Uncle Bill worked there too, and so would another family of kids that she couldn’t remember the last name of, but that was all.

“Okay. Okay. I can do this.”

Winnie muttered these words to herself as her papa and her daddy followed her on to train, helping her with her suitcase. She muttered those words to herself when they placed her chest in the luggage bin above the compartment that Teddy, his friends, and Victoire were in. She muttered those words to herself when they bid her goodbye once again, walking off the train. She muttered those words to herself when she left the compartment, not wanting to be around so many people, and found an empty one. And then she started singing her own version of her daddy’s and her papa’s favorite song.

_“I think I’m alone now,_

_There doesn’t seem to be anyone around_

_I think I’m alone now,_

_The beating of my heart is the only sound,”_

“You have a pretty voice.”

Winnie looked up, blushing, and saw a girl, who was dirty blonde, and had pale, glittering, blue eyes. She smiled at the compliment and slid over in her seat, to make room for the new girl.

“My name’s Madeline. Couture. Madeline Couture.”

“Winifred Weasley-Wood. Winnie for short.”

She was still nervous about Hogwarts, but it seemed like she might have a new friend. She told her daddy that she could make her own friends, and now, she had. She would spend the train ride with Madeline, visit Teddy’s compartment when she needed to change her robes, and see her Papa at school.

All was (almost) well.

* * *

 

_**2013** _

Winnie was fourteen when her dad’s adopted her final sibling, Elliott. It wasn’t truly a shock to her, other than the fact that this would be the last one they would adopt. She could barely believe it. Not getting a new sibling every couple of years would be so strange…

She held Eli in her arms, taking it all in. He would be her youngest sibling. A tear slipped down her cheek, and she wasn’t sure if she was happy or sad. She loved having so many siblings, and up until now, she was sure that her family would keep on growing. But this was it. She would only have six siblings.

But Winnie couldn’t help but smile at the adorable little boy in her arms. If he was going to be her last sibling, then she was going to savor as much of his childhood as she could.

* * *

 

 

_**2014** _

“Marry me.”

Percy looked up in surprise. He and Oliver had been together for just over twenty years, and they had never even brought up marriage before. It wasn’t legal in the muggle world, and therefore, wizards had to comply to those rules as well, as to not rise suspicions. He, of course, knew, that the muggles had finally made it legal, but he didn’t give it a second thought. After all, Oliver would have brought it up if he wanted it.

“What?”

They were in his office at Hogwarts. Oliver had surprised him for the day and the first thing he said was a proposal. A two-word proposal while he was standing in the threshold of Percy’s office door. So, it wasn’t exactly what Percy was expecting.

“I said: Marry me. I want to get married. I want to have a wedding. I want to have a ceremony for all our friends and family, and have the girls wear matching dresses, and have Josh and Eli wear adorable matching suits, and have a first dance, and most of all, I want to be able to call you my husband. Say yes. Please.”

For the last twenty years, Oliver had given Percy everything he wanted and vice versa. They had kissed. They had gotten together. They had moved in together. They had supported each other. They had adopted their kids. They had gotten two puppies, a cat, and an owl. So, did Oliver really think Percy could say no? Not that he wanted to, of course, but Oliver truly looked as if he thought Percy would say no.

“Yes.”

It was a simple answer, not overly exciting or anything. But Oliver still tackled Percy in his chair, making them both fall to the ground. And he started singing their song. The past twenty years had no been perfect. There had been fights, there had been times when they didn’t speak to each other; but Percy had never stopped feeling an overwhelming love for his long-time best friend slash boyfriend. As he listened to the song, he realized something: this song was theirs, but it didn’t quite fit them anymore.

“I think we need a new song.”

* * *

 

 

**_2014, continued_ **

“Almost twenty-seven years ago, my dads met on their way to Hogwarts. And ever since then, they have been each other’s best friends. They have depended on each other, taken care of each other, and loved each other so, so much.

Six years after they met, they finally got together. In those six years, they had built a friendship that could overcome anything, time after time, whether it be awkward moments or tear-jerking fights or the fact that my Papa was apparently a bit of a prick sometimes,” Winnie said, beginning her speech at her dad’s wedding.

Everyone laughed at the last comment, and she heard her Uncle George say, “More like all of the time.” People laughed even more at that comment.

“Despite all of those things, they got through the next six years, even surviving a war together. They were luckier than most,” she said, shooting a watery smile at her Uncle Lee, who had been in a relationship with her namesake.

“Barely a year after the war, they adopted me, and I couldn’t be more thankful that they did. For the past fourteen years, plus some, they have given me everything they have, only expecting me to love them in return. And I do. And I know that, because they taught me what love is.”

“Love is caring for someone more than you care for yourself, and knowing that they care the same for you. Love is what holds them together, through all the hard times, the rough patches,and the fights. Love is the hope that has gotten my dads through the past twenty-one years together. Love is what they have, and what they share, and what they give me and my siblings and my cousins and my aunts and uncles everyday. They are so full of love, and they deserve all of my love, and more. This one’s for you dads. I love you,” Winnie said, taking the mic out of it’s holder, and began singing  _Love Is_ , a song that came out the year they had gotten together.

_“They say it’s a river that circles the earth_

_A beam of light shining to the edge of the universe_

_It conquers all_

_It changes everything_

_They say it’s a blessing_

_They say it’s a gift_

_They say it’s a miracle, and I believe that it is”_

Winnie loved her dads. She loved her siblings. She loved her cousins, and aunts and uncles, and grandparents too. She loved all of her family. And she loved her best friend, Maddy, too. She just hadn’t realized it yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Birthdays  
> Winifred Margaret Weasley-Wood : February 9th, 1999  
> Megara Rhys Weasley-Wood : July 17th, 2003  
> Gwendolyn Lucille Weasley-Wood : December 9th, 2004  
> Joshua Wilhelm Weasley-Wood : September 18th, 2008  
> Romany Charlotte Weasley-Wood : September 18th, 2008  
> Penelope Elodie Weasley-Wood : October 1st, 2009  
> Elliott Ryleigh Jamison Weasley-Wood : July 10th, 2013


End file.
